Veterinary Recruitment Agency
Saturday, 2 December 2023 11:52 GMT
Job Outlook for Veterinarians in the UK
When considering the job outlook for veterinarians in the UK, you must take into consideration that today's employment situation for veterinarians is not necessarily that of tomorrow. In fact it is generally atypical due both to the current financial situation and the fact that as the economy improves in general, so does population habits in terms of feel-good and their spending.
While dog ownership is believed to be maintained over the next decade or so, ownership of cats is expected to rise. So too is ownership of the more 'exotic' pets such as reptiles and small rodents, and with it an increase of 33% of veterinary employment is expected over the next 8 - 10 years. Naturally, as pet ownership increases so does the employment of those that maintain their health and deal with their injuries.
However, it is not just pet ownership that is expected to influence the veterinary job outlook for veterinarians in the UK of the next few years. It is also changing dietary habits and the need for veterinary care of farm animals is also expected to be on the increase over the next decade or so. This may partially be influenced by stricter regulation of food animals in the EU, and there seem few doubts that while the jobs advertised for farm vets remain fairly stable, their need is increasing.
Irrespective of all of this, most UK veterinary surgeons would likely agree that the increased trend for comfort pets (a result of the increased life expectancy of humans in the UK due to medical advances) significantly influences the demand for veterinary surgeons and nurses to care for them, and that caring for such small animals can be more lucrative to a private practice than if it focused on farm animals.
With respect to the owners' preferences, cats are the most popular of these comfort pets in that they are easily looked after and relatively undemanding, there is no need for the relatively frail to run along behind them attached to one end of a lead, and they can be self sufficient if given a basic diet to supplement the results of their hunting. While this is not something that elderly cat owners tend to promote, it happens nevertheless, and cats are without a doubt easier to care for than are dogs and most other forms of comfort pet, and they are also high in the 'cuddlesome' stakes.
For these and many other reasons, the job outlook for veterinarians in the UK is healthy and jobs are becoming increasingly more available in the personal comfort-pet sector while the farm animal sector is remaining fairly stable. It is therefore not a case of one being on the up while the other is dropping, and there is instead a genuine increase in available veterinary jobs. This is one reason why admission to veterinary colleges is very competitive, another being the relative small number of these in comparison to regular medical schools.
One reason for many newly-qualified vets taking jobs involving companion-animals rather than farm animals is that the former enable the young vet to live in a town or in the city without having to travel into the countryside to carry out their work. Many also prefer to work with small animals, the owners of which can often be fairly wealthy in relation to farmers who have a great deal of other expenses to meet, and who also tend to be more appreciative when their loved pet is made well again.
Irrespective of all of this, the job outlook for veterinarians in the UK is excellent because of
The situation regarding veterinary job prospects is even brighter if you want to work with farm animals. There are fewer applicants for such jobs because they tend to pay less, and because a large number of qualified vets do not want to work in rural areas. In fact, many want to work only inside a practice surgery and deal only with relatively minor problems with small pets. They are not interested in donning protective clothing and entering the rear end of a cow!
Notwithstanding that, the number of jobs likely to be available for farm veterinaries over the next few years will be likely increase much more slowly than those for small or comfort-pets. So, while the job prospects for that type of veterinary surgery is bright right now, it will not be so in a few years time when the small-animal vet looking after cats and dogs for the elderly will be inundated with work.
© ALPHA IMPACT™
When considering the job outlook for veterinarians in the UK, you must take into consideration that today's employment situation for veterinarians is not necessarily that of tomorrow. In fact it is generally atypical due both to the current financial situation and the fact that as the economy improves in general, so does population habits in terms of feel-good and their spending.
While dog ownership is believed to be maintained over the next decade or so, ownership of cats is expected to rise. So too is ownership of the more 'exotic' pets such as reptiles and small rodents, and with it an increase of 33% of veterinary employment is expected over the next 8 - 10 years. Naturally, as pet ownership increases so does the employment of those that maintain their health and deal with their injuries.
However, it is not just pet ownership that is expected to influence the veterinary job outlook for veterinarians in the UK of the next few years. It is also changing dietary habits and the need for veterinary care of farm animals is also expected to be on the increase over the next decade or so. This may partially be influenced by stricter regulation of food animals in the EU, and there seem few doubts that while the jobs advertised for farm vets remain fairly stable, their need is increasing.
Irrespective of all of this, most UK veterinary surgeons would likely agree that the increased trend for comfort pets (a result of the increased life expectancy of humans in the UK due to medical advances) significantly influences the demand for veterinary surgeons and nurses to care for them, and that caring for such small animals can be more lucrative to a private practice than if it focused on farm animals.
With respect to the owners' preferences, cats are the most popular of these comfort pets in that they are easily looked after and relatively undemanding, there is no need for the relatively frail to run along behind them attached to one end of a lead, and they can be self sufficient if given a basic diet to supplement the results of their hunting. While this is not something that elderly cat owners tend to promote, it happens nevertheless, and cats are without a doubt easier to care for than are dogs and most other forms of comfort pet, and they are also high in the 'cuddlesome' stakes.
For these and many other reasons, the job outlook for veterinarians in the UK is healthy and jobs are becoming increasingly more available in the personal comfort-pet sector while the farm animal sector is remaining fairly stable. It is therefore not a case of one being on the up while the other is dropping, and there is instead a genuine increase in available veterinary jobs. This is one reason why admission to veterinary colleges is very competitive, another being the relative small number of these in comparison to regular medical schools.
One reason for many newly-qualified vets taking jobs involving companion-animals rather than farm animals is that the former enable the young vet to live in a town or in the city without having to travel into the countryside to carry out their work. Many also prefer to work with small animals, the owners of which can often be fairly wealthy in relation to farmers who have a great deal of other expenses to meet, and who also tend to be more appreciative when their loved pet is made well again.
Irrespective of all of this, the job outlook for veterinarians in the UK is excellent because of
- An increase in age expectancy of elderly cat owners,
- Advances in veterinary medicine enabling small animals to live longer and continue to need more treatment, and
- Fewer young people seeking veterinary medicine as a career.
The situation regarding veterinary job prospects is even brighter if you want to work with farm animals. There are fewer applicants for such jobs because they tend to pay less, and because a large number of qualified vets do not want to work in rural areas. In fact, many want to work only inside a practice surgery and deal only with relatively minor problems with small pets. They are not interested in donning protective clothing and entering the rear end of a cow!
Notwithstanding that, the number of jobs likely to be available for farm veterinaries over the next few years will be likely increase much more slowly than those for small or comfort-pets. So, while the job prospects for that type of veterinary surgery is bright right now, it will not be so in a few years time when the small-animal vet looking after cats and dogs for the elderly will be inundated with work.
© ALPHA IMPACT™